Hi-Tech bandages to save time

Scientists say that Hi-Tech bandages that can detect how well your wound is healing and automatically report it to the doctor, will start its trials around next year. The bandages have embedded tiny sensors that can analyze the healing progress, check for infections, and send the data back to a more efficient and faster recovery.

According to the Swansea University, the bandages will start its trials within 12 months, and this new technology, can offer a personalized approach to medicine, making less trips to the doctor needed, and telling the doctor about any infection, so he can act and stop the infection faster.

“Nanotechnology allows us to produce sensors with such reduced dimensions, that they are very, very small”, said Professor Marc Clement, of the Institute of Life Science, at Swansea.

The next goal is to make the bandages, at a cost that is affordable for the health service. The question is what is the more efficient way to produce these devices, and clearly the printing technique, seems to be the right way to go.

“This is a multi-technology approach, with nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, printing and coating biochemistry all interconnecting through 5G infrastructure to allow us tomorrow and in the future to deliver health care for a wound patient that delivers better patient outcomes and better quality of life”.

The device is due to also connect with the patient’s smartphone, and inform him of any health concerns, that can influence the wound healing process, such as inactivity or bad diet.

“You combine all of that intelligence so the clinician knows the performance of the specific wound at any specific time and can then tailor the treatment protocol to the individual and wound in question”, said Professor Clement to the BBC.

“Traditional medicine may be where a clinician might see a patient and then prescribe the treatment approach for a month or three months. What the future holds is a world where there’s the ability to vary the treatment to the individual, the lifestyle and the pattern of life”, he added.

So, let’s just wait, and hope that this is just a small step in the journey of a more efficient and safe way to stay healthy.